A Loose End
by Cobalt Demoness
Summary: Naoto visits the killer in jail searching for one final answer. True ending spoilers.


A Loose End

She'd visited criminals many times before. She's familiar with the procedure, signing in, closely following the guard - this particular one raised his eyebrows at her obvious youth but made no comment on it, just set off, swinging his keys nonchalantly and assuming she'll keep pace. Naoto did so, wondering not for the first time why she was here. What did she think she was going to learn? Hadn't she heard all she'd needed and could possibly have ever wanted to hear that day in December?

Apparently not because here she was. Alone, with the rest of the team far away by now. Most of them back in Inaba, Souji returned to the city. There was a long line of white plastic chairs, facing the safety glass that separated the mostly guilty from the rarely innocent. She sat down on one of the chairs that almost seemed designed to get visitors out as quickly as possible and reflected on how long it had been since she'd spoken to Adachi alone. Even when she'd been assisting the police, Dojima-san had mostly been around, giving his partner those disapproving looks he was so good at.

The room was empty except for the guard who'd led her here and had now positioned himself by the back wall, respectfully out of earshot. About half a minute later, Tohru Adachi, following his own guard, slouched into view. He glanced through the glass, eyes widening a little as he saw his visitor. His hands were cuffed but that didn't stop him giving an ironic little wave with both hands before he sat down. Neither of them said anything for a brief moment until Adachi leaned back nonchalantly, dark eyes alight with amusement.

"Dojima-san's been to visit a few times, but I didn't think the Detective Prince himself would deign to come and see me." He winked, one eyelid drooping lazily. "Eh, Naoto-_chan_?"

She met his gaze steadily. He would not faze her. Any shock she'd felt that day was fone now. Even so, her heart was racing and she was certain he would ehar the quick ba-thump. Despite that, her voice was cool and rock steady.

"I surprised myself by coming here," she told him. When Adachi said nothing, only looking at her - those eyes that danced with amusement and contempt, that seemed utterly empty at the same time - she pressed on. She'd rehearsed the words carefully in her head.

"I wanted to know why you sent Souji-senpai that letter. You left it a little late, don't you think?" Again he didn't respond, forcing Naoto to continue. "_Why_? Why bother to help us when you so clearly hated us all?"

Adachi leaned forward a little, voice low, as if they were conspirators forming a plot. "You want to know if it's because I was sorry, don't you?" he said. "You want to see if I regretted what I did, even one tiny little bit, because none of you can believe it's _possible_ to not be sorry, right?" He paused, staring coldly at her. "It wasn't to help all of you. I meant it for Seta." A small shrug. "And maybe after all that crap you kids spouted about living how you want... I guess I thought I might as well give you that chance."

Naoto frowned at him. "What do you mean, you meant it for Seta?"

"He was like me, wasn't he? Him, me, Namatame. We could all enter the TV straight off. You lot only did it after beating those shadows of yours. That wasn't just a coincidence. There was someone else behind it. To be honest, I didn't much like realising I was just some tool all that time. So it was up to you lot to do something about it."

"You might have been manipulated, but it was partly your intention as well. You cannot shift the blame."

Adachi grinned, the predator smile of a shark. "I just had a little fun with it, that's all. Getting a power like that? Of course I was gonna take advantage. You want to know if I'm sorry." He shook his head very slowly, eyes still fixed on Naoto. "Not one bit."

She swallowed, heard the dry click in her throat. "What about... what about Nanako-chan? You may not have kidnapped her but your actions led to her being hospitalised." She couldn't be sure but she thought she saw a brief flicker in his gaze. He said nothing. "_Well_?"

"It was tough luck."

She stared. "Is that all you have to say on the matter?"

Adachi scowled. "How many times do I have to tell you? It was all a game! I did it for _fun_. If one cute little girl caught herself caught up in it, tough shit. She was _nothing_ to me."

"And what about Dojima-san?" Naoto pressed him. This time she definitely saw that flicker. His eyes darted to the side for the briefest moment, so quick she might have missed it if she hadn't been watching for it.

"What about him?" Adachi almost spat. "Like I ever gave a fuck what happened to him. Thought it was hilarious how he was just a walk away from his daughter's kidnapper."

Naoto shifted slightly in her seat. "Then why spend all that time with him in the hospital? You must have had a reason for that. He was your partner, he took you under his wing when you first came to Inaba, so -"

There was a sudden harsh screech as Adachi stood up, shoving his chair back. His guard started forward but Naoto waved him back. Adachi's face was almost pressed against the glass and his words came in a fast, furious whisper.

"And so the fuck _what_ if he was my partner? What difference do you think it _makes_? It made it fun! It was _fun_, getting into his home, carrying him back when he was too drunk to know what was what, all of that, I might've cared under all that, I might've -" He cut himself off sharply. His eyes still stared, still burning, but Naoto thought she could see... "Under all that, maybe I did like him. But that didn't matter because it was my game. He got drawn into it. You think I stuck with him because I regretted it? Nah. I had to keep him away from Namatame."

He leaned his forehead against the glass. "There's your answer, Shirogane. You won't like it. None of you will understand it. Maybe you'll even try to deny it." His face transformed. Naoto had been able to see a trace of humanity, faint but there. Now it was a ghoul's mask with a terrible grin. But not a mask. Naoto finally realised that the human face he'd worn, until just now, had been the real mask.

"I'm not sorry. I never will be. If I could do it all over again... I'd do it in a flash. Only next time," he said conspiratorially. "I'll kill you little fuckers first. And I'd make sure everyone who went in the TV never came out."

Naoto stood up, feeling sick to her stomach, hating the monster on the other side of the glass. Adachi's guard came forward, grabbing his shoulder when he didn't move away. Naoto started to walk off with a stright back, hiding how shaken she was, though she couldn't helo wincing as a crazed shriek rose behind her.

"Better hope they don't let me out for a long, long time, Shirogane!" Adachi cried with a cackle. "Because I'll be showing you just how sorry I am!"

---

The man at the reception desk spared her a glance as she walked by.

"Did he tell you what you wanted to know?"

Naoto nodded. "Yes. And probably more than I'd ever want to know.

A/N: It's been a while since I've written any fanfiction, and this is my first real shot at P4 stuff. Lately my energies have been focused on LJ roleplaying, to be honest. Maybe this could be me getting back into the swing of things here. Let me know what you thought, 'kay?


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